Possible trip to Duisburg and Koln

Hi all, having been to a lot of german zoos. I agree with the comments about high species diversity is what is good about a lot of German zoos compared to British zoos. The majority of which have reduced and reduced their collections compared to 20 years ago except perhaps Colchester. Not all german zoos enclosures are great and the polar bear exhibit at Wuppertal is very poor. However there is generally a focus on the animals rather than theming. This is my first forum post but happy to help. Slightly off topic is when I waa in Duisburg I purchased a book celebrating 75 years of the zoo; although in German it has many pictures of their old collection of whales, river dolphinS and giant armadillo. What was the other river dolphin called?
Thanks
 
I've just booked an early flight from Stansted to Cologne, flying home late the next night for less than £20 ! I hope Baby survives another few months at least! I haven't sorted a hotel in Cologne yet but if I have to find a bar that's open til 3am then sleep on a bench for a couple of hours near Cologne zoo I don't care !
 
Last edited:
Given Crowthorne has recently written a fairly comprehensive review , I don't intend going into too much detail. I have to say I agree with most of the assessment of both zoos. Crowthorne said she preferred Duisburg and in terms of species, I think I agree, it had the 'wow' factor for me in the shape of many species I hadn't seen in decades ( in the days of London in the 70s/80s). Cologne was great too, but I think after visiting the Berlin zoos last year, it didn't seem quite as great as it might have done!

Duisburg

Highlight Species
The obvious ! *
Wombat
Tasmanian Devil
Koala
Echidna
Roloway Monkey
Kori Bustard
White nosed Guenon
My first bottle nosed dolphin since Whipsnade , very early 80s

Highlight enclosures

Tiger
Lynx
Fossa
Andean Bear
Rio Negro
Tasmanian Devil

Poor enclosures

Orangutan outdoors, possibly only rivalled by Dudley for worst I've seen this decade!

Cologne

Species

Red Howler
Rufous Elephant Shrew*
Sun squirrel *
Ring tailed mongoose
Red Spanked Douc *
Matschies Tree Kangaroo *
southern Bald Ibis *
Grizzly Bear
Musk Ox
Weddell's Tamarin *

* = lifer

Highlight exhibits
Regenwald
Elephants - amazing!
All Great Ape exhibits better than zoo Berlin
Hippodom
Aquarium , not Berlin, but never seen so many monitor species in one zoo, 10+?

Poor exhibits

Ex Ratel exhibit - appalling !!!! The meerkat enclosure must be 50x the size, probably 100
Black Rhino - never viewed through dirty glass before
Red Howler - 3 enclosures , none making the most of this rarity!
Penguins - don't think I've seen much worse anywhere in UK!

May remember more later and add them!

What I should say if either of these zoos were in the UK , they would make my top 5 comfortably .
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top